ARTIST : Bradley Leighton
TITLE : Soul Collective
LABEL : Pacific Coast Jazz
GENRE : Jazz
BITRATE : 188 kbps avg
SOURCE : CD (LP)
PLAYTIME : 00:42:26
SIZE : 60.4MB
STORE DATE : 2008-04-00
Track List
----------
1. It's On! 4:58
2. Cafe Con Leche 5:08
3. Wake Up Call 6:01
4. She's Gone 4:31
5. That Man 3:56
6. Ode To Billy Joe 4:46
7. Rock Me Softly 4:46
8. Undercover 3:54
9. Keep That Same Old Feeling 4:26
Flutist Bradley Leighton's fourth solo album, Soul
Collective, will be released on the Pacific Coast Jazz
label April 15th. This newest collection of tunes, fresh
and funky - with just a touch of old school ôgreaze" - is
replete with soulful vibes. Produced and arranged by
Allan Phillips, this is Phillips' third project with
Leighton and Pacific Coast Jazz. Talented veteran Jason
Miles is producer/arranger on two of the tracks. Heading
to radio first will be ôIt's On!," an upbeat groove
featuring rising star Tom Braxton on sax. Also being
released on radio is a smooth remake of the Hall & Oates
classic hit ôShe's Gone," featuring sax legend Tom Scott
in a soulful duet with Leighton. The radio add date for
the smooth jazz format will be March 17th.
Leighton's early influences, some of which included Tower
of Power, Earth, Wind & Fire, The Brecker Brothers and
Average White Band, are readily apparent in Soul
Collective's tight, robust horn arrangements, which
feature three acknowledged masters of the horn-based funk
idiom in Greg Adams, Mic Gillette and Tom Scott.
Allan Phillips pens the first three tunes: ôIt's On,"
ôCaf Con Leche" and ôWake Up Call." The first is an
up-tempo, funky groove featuring Tom Braxton trading
energetic licks throughout with Leighton's alto flute.
ôCafe" is the single Latin offering on the CD. This
smooth back-beat cha-cha features Evan Marks' guitar
working in unison with Leighton's flute - punctuated by
the horn section - with the two riding high over the
horns in the out chorus. ôWake Up Call" brings the horns
to the forefront in a hard-driving funk tune reminiscent
of those great horn bands of the 70's. ôShe's Gone" is a
classic Hall & Oats tune made popular by the 70's disco
group Tavares, performed as a soulful duet by Leighton
and Tom Scott; this artful Allan Phillips arrangement
builds throughout up to its driving, horn-laden finale.
For a change of pace, ôThat Man" is a popish vocal
offering featuring newcomer Paula Prophet's wonderful
writing and superb vocal stylings. ôOde to Billy Jo" is
an instrumental treatment of the Bobbi Gentry classic;
one of the two tracks produced and arranged by Jason
Miles, it features Leighton and his alto flute over a
slinky, funky vibe. The next two Phillips originals offer
a contrast in styles. ôRock Me Softly" features the muted
trumpet of Greg Adams with Leighton's hum-over-playing on
the alto flute, giving the tune an edgy, urban vibe,
while ôUndercover" is a mellow, jazzy selection with
Adams, Marks and Leighton trading riffs throughout.
Closing out the CD is another Jason Miles treatment -
this time it's the classic Crusaders' hit ôKeep That Same
Old Feeling." In a mellow, chillin' groove, Leighton
trades melodic phrases with vocalist Katreese Barnes;
providing a fitting climax to this superbly crafted CD.
ôIt was really an honor working with some of my favorite
players on this project," said Leighton when speaking
about Soul Collective. ôI've always loved working with
and playing in the horn section and we were fortunate
enough to have three of the best in our section with Greg
Adams, Mic Gillette and Tom Scott. This project was a lot
of fun to make and I look forward to performing all the
new material in concerts this year."
Leighton debuted in 2003 with Groove Yard, a beautiful
collection of jazz standards. Released in 2005, Just
Doin' Our Thang is comprised of inventive arrangements of
standards and four original compositions in a traditional
jazz setting that finds Leighton backed by a Hammond B3
organ trio. Just Doin' Our Thang and Back to the Funk
both received critical praise from such respected outlets
as JazzTimes, Audiophile, All About Jazz, All Music
Guide, L.A. Jazz Scene, and The San Diego Reader in 2006.
Both these albums were nominated for ôBest Jazz Album of
the Year" by the San Diego Music Awards.